Filter bag for vacuum cleaners and collar therefor



Nov. 8, 1966 L. J. STUDLEY ETAL. 3,283,481

FILTER BAG FOR VACUUM CLEANING AND COLLAR THEREFOR Filed Dec. 18, 1964 INVENTORS m 5575 J. frz/m 5r United States Parent O 3,283,481 FILTER BAG FOR VACUUlVI CLEANERS AND COLLAR TI-IEREFOR Lester J. Studley and Martin Cordell, Far Rockaway, N.Y., assignors to Studley Paper Company, Inc., Far Rockaway, N.Y., a vcorporation of New York Filed Dec. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 419,321 2 Claims, (Cl.v55-`367) The present invention relates in general to filter bags for vacuum cleaners or the like and in particular to collars for such bags.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a filter bag for a vacuum cleaner or the like which bag is provided with a highly novel and efiicient collar which will have a relatively long life.V

It is another object of the present invention to provide a collar for a filter bag of the described type which collar constitutes an air valve which opens in response to air pressure applied thereto.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such a collar valve which is formed as a unitary member from relatively inexpensive sheet material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a collar valve which is constructed in such a manner so Ias to provide the latter with readily exible portions which respond to air pressures or the like in a readily facile manner.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily ,apparent to one skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specification taken in connection with the appended drawing.

In the drawin-g, which illustrates the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a filter bag pursuant to the present invention with portions broken away for purposes of illustration;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the filter bag in operative condition thereof disposed within a vacuum cleaner or the like;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 3 3, the bag being shown in the collapsed or inoperative position thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the bag being shown in an intermediate or partially open condi tion thereof; and

FIGURE 5 is a view which `illustrates the bag in the fully open condition thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown a filter bag pursuant to the present invention. The bag 10 is provided with a bag body 12 which is provided with a collar valve 14 pursuant to the present invention.

The bag body 12 is of conventional construction, being formed of flexible sheet filter material. As here shown, the bag body 12 is provided with the front wall 16, a -rear wall 18 and flexible side walls 20-22. The bag body is folded over and sealed at the opposite ends 24-26 thereof. In order to allow for the entry of dust laden air into the interior of the bag body 12, the front wall 16 thereof is provided with an aperture or opening 28.

Pursuant to the present invention, the aperture 28 is closed by means of the previously mentioned collar valve. More specifically, and as here shown, the collar valve is constituted by a unitary collar member which as here shown is `of circular conformation so -as to be complementary to the circular aperture 28. The collar member 14 is formed 'of suitable flexible sheet. material and in the present embodiment is formed of vacuum formed plastic material which has the required degree of flexibility to achieve the purposes 'of the present invention. As best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the unitary collar valve 14 is provided with an outer rim 30 inwardly of which there 3,283,481 Patented Nov. 8,v 1966 ICC is provided a depressed circular securing portion 32. It will be noted from FIG. 3 that the diameter of the collar valve 14 exceeds the diameter of the aperture 28 so that both the securing portion 32 and the rim 30 extend outwardly of the aperture 28. The coll-ar valve 14 is mounted in operative position by adhesively securing the securing portion 32 thereof about the aperture 28 as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. Inwardly of the securing portion 32, the collar valve 14 is provided with a series of circular concentric corrugations or raised ridges 34 which serve to assist or increase the flexibility -of the collar member 14.

Pursuant to a highly novel aspect of the present invention, the collar member 14 is provided in the central portion thereof with .a first pair of apertures 36 and 38 which are interconnected by a slit 40 and with a second pair of circular apertures 42 and 44 which are interconnected by a slit 46. It will be noted that the slits 40 and 46 extend diagonally between the associated pairs of holes and intersect each other in right angular relation so as to define four flexible segments or portions 48,V 50, 52 and S4.- In

l the normal condition thereof, the flexible segments are within the plane of the collar member 14 and overlie the aperture 28 so as to close the latter since the segments are in the inoperative or closed condition thereof as best shown in FIG. 3. However, when the opposite surfaces of the flexible segments are subjected to a difference in air pressure with the larger amount of pressure being applied to the outer surfaces of the flexible segment as indicated by the arrows 56 in FIG. 4, thesegments flex downwardly and inwardly into the interi-or of the bag body 12 moving outwardly to the open condition thereof as indicated by the arrows 58 in FIG. 4. The movement of the segments in the direction of the arrows 58 causes the segments to move or spread apart so as vto open the collar valve 14 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 illustrates the collar valve in a partially open condition thereof and FIGS. 2 and 5 illustrate the collar valve in the fully open condition thereof. When the pressure differential is discontinued so that the pressures on the opposite surfaces of the flexible segments are equal, the flexible segments will snap back 'from the fully open condition thereof illustrated in FIG. 5 to the closed condition thereof illustrated in FIG. 3 so as to close the valve.

FIG. 2 illustrates the vacuum cleaner filter bag 10 pursuant to the present invention mounted within the tank or cannister 60 of a vacuum cleaner. Conduit 62 illustrates a conventional inlet conduit through which the dirt laden air is borne by suction pressure into the cannister 60, a coupling member 64 extending from the conduit 62 to a gasket vor bearing 66 which abuts the collar 14.

As previously indicated, FIG. 3 illustrates the condition of the b-ag 10 in the inoperative condition of the vacuum cleaner 60. When the vacuum cleaner 60 is rendered operative so that the necessary suction is developed, the difference in pressure on the opposite surfaces of the valve segments causes the latter to spread apart inwardly into the bag body 12 through the opening 28 defined therein, the bag expanding as shown in FIG. 4 from its normally collapsed condition las shown in FIG. 3. Continued application of the suction pressure causes the complete opening of the collar valve as shown in FIG. 5 with the bag being fully expanded as shown in said figure and in FIG. 2. In this condition of the bag, the dirt laden air is drawn inwardly through the open collar'valve into the filter bag 12, the air passing through the walls of the filter bag and the dust remaining in the bag. Upon discontinuance of the suction, there no lon-ger is a pressure differential upon the opposite surfaces of the valve segments so that the latter automatically snaps back to normal closed condition shown in FIG. 3.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that there has been illustrated and described a highly novel vacuum provided with a highly eicient land relatively inexpensive collar valve operable inV re"v` sponse to the application of air pressure thereto orto a difference in air pressure at the opposite surfaces of the valve segments. It Will be understood that various changes `and modifications may be made Within the present invention without however departing from the basic inventive Iconcept thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

E, 1. A vacuum cleaner filter bag comprising a bag body Iformed of filter sheet material, said body having an opening defined in a wall thereof, a unitary valve collar mount- ,ed on an exterior surface of the'bag and overlying said opening, the diameter of said collar being greater than the idiarneter-of said `pening,said collarv having a securing portion which encompasses said opening and is secured fto said exterior surface, and a gasket overlying said securing portion and secured thereto, said collar being formed of a .exible material and having a plurality of slits extending -radially outwardly from the center of the collarto de# vfine slitted portions which are deectable from the plane :of said collar into said bag opening in response to air `pressure to ydefine a valve opening in communication with `,the interior of said bag, said slitted portions being returnable to said planar disposition thereof in the absence of air pressure to close said valve opening, said collar valve bein-g a plastic member provided with concentric corru'ga tions, and each of said radial slits cutting through atleast two of said corrugations.

2. A vacuum cleaner iilter bag as in claim 1, said `valve collar having a raised rim which encompasses said securing portion thereof.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTSV HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

. D. E. TALBERT, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. A VACUUM CLEANER FILTER BAG COMPRISING A BAG BODY FORMED OF FILTER SHEET MATERIAL, SAID BODY HAVING AN OPENING DEFINED IN A WALL THEREOF, A UNITARY VALVE COLLAR MOUNTED ON AN EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE BAG AND OVERLYING SAID OPENING, THE DIAMETER OF SAID COLLAR BEING GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID OPENING, SAID COLLAR HAVING A SECURING PORTION WHICH ENCOMPASSES SAID OPENING AND IS SECURED TO SAID EXTERIOR SURFACE, AND A GASKET OVERLYING SAID SECURING PORTION AND SECURED THERETO, SAID COLLAR BEING FORMED OF A FLEXIBLE MATERIAL AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF SLITS EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE CENTER OF THE COLLAR TO DEFINE SLITTED PORTIONS WHICH ARE DEFLECTABLE FROM THE PLANE OF SAID COLLAR INTO SAID BAG OPENING IN RESPONSE TO AIR PRESSURE TO DEFINE A VAVLE OPENING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID BAG, SAID SLITTED PORTIONS BEING RETURNABLE TO SAID PLANAR DISPOSITION THEREOF IN THE ABSENCE OF AIR PRESSURE TO CLOSE SAID VALVE OPENING, SAID COLLAR VALVE BEING A PLASTIC MEMBER PROVIDED WITH CONCENTRIC CORRUGATIONS, AND EACH OF SAID RADIAL SLITS CUTTING THROUGH AT LEAST TWO OF SAID CORRUGATIONS. 